Enveloped
by DFTBAPleaseandThankyou
Summary: Ladybug decides it is time to reveal their identities, Adrien would normally be over the moon. But after having Gabriel revealed as Hawkmoth, Adrien decides he would prefer to stay hidden. As things begin to spiral dangerously out of control both in Adriens civillian and superhero life, he must learn to balance the stress that seems to just keep adding up.


**Well! Hello again, I know I have a lot of catching up to do after my hiatus but I couldn't help myself starting a new story so... enjoy! :)**

_"Bonjour Buginette!"_

_He called, bounding across the rooftops of Paris towards her. It was cold out, and he enjoyed how the wind rustled his hair._

_She turned and feigned annoyance, pulling her lips into a pout and stomping her foot._

_"Took you long enough! I was about to get frostbite!" She laughed, a wide grin adorning her face. _

_"How paw-ful! I would never want you to fall sick My Lady!" he exclaimed, quickly looking up for her reaction. He'd earned an eye-roll in return._

_"Don't mock me Chat Noir!" She said bringing her arm to her forehead and sighing "I'm so cold, I just can't take it!" She crowed, trying to act upset but her face betrayed her as her eyes danced with humour._

_"You know..." He grinned impishly at her, "we could always de-transform and cozy up by a fire somewhere."_

_She blinked her big blue-bells, surprised, before erupting into a fit of giggles; his heart warmed at the sound._

_She tapped him on the nose, pushing him a foot back from her._

_"You know why we can't do that Chat Noir."_

_He did know, but that didn't stop his heart from yearning to see her face, feel the skin of her hands. _

_"Of course I know! You would swoon at the sight of me."_

_She shook her head, a loving smile on her face._

_"Let's not stay out in this weather longer then necessary." She moved to grab her yo-yo "Ready?"_

_He nodded and they vaulted off together._

_Adrien had always loved their patrols; it was a chance to calm down and enjoy each others company, without the threat of an akuma. _

_He found his gaze wandering to her. Ladybug's raven hair was loose and messy; it was late after all. She probably hadn't had a chance to re-do it. She kept a focused look on her face as she clipped and un-clipped her yo-yo, her elegant form moving in time with the motions. The moonlight made her beautiful blue-bells shine, set in a stoic face of concentration, shine._

_He would give anything to be closer with her, something about it just felt so right. He sighed, knowing it was unlikely until they took down Hawkmoth. Which was, unfortunately, god knows how far into the future. Adrien pulled his focus back to the buildings ahead of him. This was patrol, he needed to focus more. If Ladybug caught him staring she would surely be annoyed with him._

* * *

Adrien allowed his attention to slip from the notes on the board, caught up in the events of the past few weeks.

One month since they had defeated Hawkmoth.

Two weeks since Ladybug had suggest they reveal their identities.

Two more days till their next patrol.

To think only a month ago everything had been normal. That only a month ago, he had just been hoping for a reveal more than anything. Now the idea made his head hurt.

He didn't miss the subtle glances in his direction from his piers.

Adrien hated their sympathy; he wished they would all just forget what had happened.

His heart was plagued with guilt. There was a part of him that wanted to say it wasn't true! They couldn't blame him for his father's actions. But why not? How had he not realized his own father was behind the attacks? _Hell! _Ladybug had even suggested it!

If only he had paid more attention to the signs; they had been right in his face! With so much trauma he could have prevented, how could he be mad at those who blamed him if he himself agreed? His stomach rolled. There were so many long fights he and Ladybug had to persevere through, _too many_ school tests he had flunked because he was exhausted.

If only he hadn't brushed off the clues. If only he had looked just a little deeper into-

_snap_

His attention quickly focused back to the classroom, his gaze resting on the broken pencil in his hand. He grimaced.

Suddenly awkward he fidgeted in his seat, reaching for another pencil and continuing his notes. He tried not to look up. Feeling the class's eyes on him was uncomfortable, to say the least.

He just wished his father wasn't Hawkmoth. He'd been so happy when he had managed to distract the villain's attention, allowing Ladybug to bind him with her yo-yo. When they had plucked the miraculous off his chest and the blinding purple light enveloped Hawkmoth. In his place was left a tired, bruised Gabriel. Everything in Adrien's world had stopped for a second before crashing into him full force, filling his veins with ice. He had stood frozen, _horrified_.

He couldn't tell Ladybug who he was now; she would connect him to his father, and then- he didn't want to think about her reaction.

He scoured his mind for a way out of this, how could he avoid a reveal? She would know something was up. How many times had he asked- begged for one before and now to say he didn't want it at all? She had obviously been nervous to ask, what would she think if he told her it was a bad idea? He didn't want to hurt her feelings. That night played on loop in his head, he couldn't stop it, anxiety gnawing at his sides.

* * *

_Ladybug bit her lip, shifting her weight from leg to leg in anticipation. Her brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought. She opened her mouth and closed it again, which he smiled at, she was just too adorable when she was nervous._

_"Uhm- Chat Noir, I've been thinking and, well..." she took a deep breath, her face bright red. What could have her this worked up?_

_"I know I've turned you down multiple times about this. But I was talking with my Kwami and she said it would be fine if we... well- how do I say this?" _

_She huffed, frustrated with herself before continuing._

_"I think it would be good for us to reveal our identities. I mean- Hawkmoth isn't a threat to our loved ones anymore and there might be opportunities to help each other. Or if we needed to re-transform in the middle of a fight it would be so much easier."_

_His shoulders stiffened, and he swallowed. All the events of the past week he had forgotten while talking to her suddenly came rushing back, hitting him with full force. Leaving him feeling heavy and his eyes wide with panic._

_"Reveal ourselves?" he whispered, frowning at the way he sounded so small, but if Ladybug had noticed she didn't say anything. She continued on, fidgeting with her hands, looking anywhere but him._

_"I know I've been hesitant in the past but I'm ready now. Sorry if this is sudden."_

_He swallowed, trying to think of something- anything to say._

_She stared at him expectantly, eyes wide and dancing with hope._

_"Ladybug..." He ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted to huddle up in a corner somewhere and get away from it all. But yet here he was, his partner in front of him awaiting an answer._

_"Maybe we should think on it."_

_"I don't understand?" Her eyes were wide and doe like, head tilted to the side._

_"Let's just make sure we're completely sure first, there's no harm in waiting is there?"_

_"I mean- I guess not?" Her brow furrowed "But Chat Noir, Isn't this what you wanted?"_

_Not anymore. "Of course it is!" He scratched the back of his neck and chuckled nervously._

_"I just don't want to rush into anything and then find a problem later." _

_Ladybug scrunched up her nose,_

_"But next patrol right?"_

_He plastered a cheek splitting grin to his face, before finding the courage to reply._

_"Next patrol."  
_

* * *

The bell, signalling the end of the day, rang shrilly in his ears.

He sighed, looking up at the pages worth of notes he had missed that lesson. Before packing up his things and leaving the classroom, his friends already gone.

He spotted Nino, Alya and Marinette waiting by his locker, he gripped the strap of his book bag as he walked towards them.

"Hey man!" Nino rested his arm on his shoulder.

He had to swallow, mouth suddenly dry before he could speak again. "Hey."

"So you got any plans tonight?"

Adrien hadn't had plans for a while. Without his father to fill his schedule with modelling and Chinese lessons, he had spent most of his afternoons that were not taken up by fencing, sitting bleakly at his computer desk, or numbly reading through his school text books. His stomach dropped at the idea of another lonely night in his home, his only company Nathalie or his bodyguard.

"Nope." A small smile adorned his face at the idea of finally catching up with his friends on their Friday night outings.

"What do you guys have planned?" Adrien asked,

Alya's face lit up at his question as she eagerly replied,

"Tonight it's Marinette's turn to pick a place and we usually just go to her house."

Adrien's mouth watered at the thought, it had been a long time since he had gotten to try anything from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Alya and Marinette's laughter bubbled up between them as they saw his wistful expression.

He grinned sheepishly at them as a warm smile turned up Nino's lips.

Nino peered at the clock, "We should get moving if we want to get there before it rains."

All four of them rushed to the school entrance, laughing their way down the steps, their feet pounding loud on the cement.

The door to the Dupain-Cheng bakery chimed as they all shuffled in.

Madame Cheng smiled warmly at them from behind the counter.

"Hello Maman" Marinette said, beaming at her mother as she sauntered over.

Marinette's mother pulled her into a hug, before turning to the three of them.

"Tom and I have left some snacks upstairs in the living room so go along now and we'll call you down when dinner is ready."

Madame Chengs soft voice and the polite smile she aimed at him made Adrien's heart warm, his lips tugging upwards. He took in large deep breaths of the vanilla aroma that clung to everything inside the bakeries first floor. Before eagerly following his friends upstairs.

As he took in the living room and saw Alya and Nino take a seat on the couch, fidgeting with impatience as Marinette went to go grab the remote controllers, he couldn't help but feel like he was intruding. They all seemed so close to each other and here he was, interrupting their fun. Now that he thought more on it; Adrien barely knew Marinette. Having visited her a grand total of, one time as himself. And, for not the first time in the last few days, Adrien felt anger surge through him at his father for restricting him from having fun with his friends like the others so clearly could.

Not giving him a chance to dwell, Nino beckoned him over. Adrien took his spot on the couch just as Marinette turned to them, remotes resting in her arms.

She handed one to each of them and then walked back to take her spot on the couch, she moved to sit next to Alya but the girl quickly raised her feet to the couch.

"Taken!" Alya called, sending a devilish grin to Marinette.

"A-Alya!" Marinettes face reddened considerably as her eyes darted across the couch, looking anywhere but at him.

"Sorry girl!"

Alya certainly didn't look sorry to Adrien, but he guessed he wasn't good with that stuff. Marinette shuffled awkwardly to the spot next to him, sitting a fair distance away from him, squishing herself as much into the corner of the couch as she could.

Was the thought of sitting next to him really that un-bearable? Adrien's spirits dropped considerably.

Marinette seemed to notice and her nervous expression softened as she scooted over, if only slightly closer to him.

"Put the game on already! I'm bored." Alya began to whine from her seat on the couch.

Marinette laughed at her friend and switched on the television.

She beat them all... by a lot actually. Her skill in Ultimate Mega Strike II never ceased to amaze Adrien, able to beat even him who played quite a bit. He had come close a few times, managing to beat her once. But Alya and Nino lay defeated on the couch, only managing to beat each other.

She had seemed to have been coaxed out of her nervousness before as she now danced around their living room, laughing gleefully, lips pulled up into a cheek splitting grin at Alya's deadpan expression.

It was very dark outside when a tired sounding Sabine called out, "Kids, the food is ready."

As serving, after serving, after serving was forced onto his place because apparently he was "far too skinny". He found himself feeling welcomed and not alone for the first time in a long while.

Adrien's heart plummeted as he saw the notification on his phone, it was from Nathalie, telling him the car had arrived to pick him up.

He waved goodbye to the Dupain-Chengs and had hugged his friends, promising to hangout with them again soon, before forcing himself to leave the warmth and intoxicating scent of vanilla that came from the building.

He was greeted by the gruff silence of his driver as he sat in tired silence the whole drive back and when he was forced to climb into the cold, large bed that night, it felt the most void of happiness it ever had before.


End file.
